Friday, October 28, 2016

Just SCRAPE IT! Spotted Lanternfly Egg Masses

Just SCRAPE IT!
Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, is a new threat to Pennsylvania
and the United States. Experts are still learning about this threat to
agriculture and how to combat it.

This pest poses a significant threat to Pennsylvania's $20.5
million grape, $134 million apple, and $24 million
stone fruit industries, as well as the hardwood industry in Pennsylvania
which accounts for $12 billion in sales.

Early detection is vital to the effective control of this pest and the
protection of PA agriculture and natural resources-related businesses.

It's a good time of year to spot the egg cases of the Spotted
Lanternfly, now that leaves are falling, foliage is dying back and surfaces are exposed. SLF adults lay eggs starting in October and will continue to lay eggs through the first few hard frosts. Egg masses are live and viable from about October through July.

Egg masses can be found on tree bark and other nearby smooth surfaces,
like rocks, outdoor furniture, vehicles and other vertical man-made objects which are stored outside. The egg masses are
about 1-1.5 inches long and 1/2 -3/4 inches wide. They are gray-brown in
color. Newly laid egg masses are somewhat shiny – covered in a waxy
coating. The wax, when it is first deposited, is light gray, but it takes on the appearance of mud as it dries.

Property owners can scrape egg masses whenever encountered using any hard or rigid tool such as a stick, a putty knife, or credit card. It's unknown if eggs scraped onto the ground can survive, so the best advice is to scrape egg masses in a downward direction into a container with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. They can also be double bagged and thrown in the garbage.